Chapter 31 : The Lunch & The Lesson
"Hmm!" Seeing Naruto accept the bento, Sakura nodded, a little flustered. Inside, she was screaming. That was my own lunch! She had no idea why, upon hearing he hadn't eaten, her hands had acted on their own. But seeing the genuine gratitude on his face sent a sweet warmth through her chest. Maybe it's fine this way.
Naruto opened the box and polished off the meal with gusto, wiped his mouth, and the two set off for their training.
For today's session, Naruto planned to return to the waterfall to continue his own practice.
The pair chatted amiably on the walk there. Upon arriving, Naruto stopped and turned to Sakura. "Alright, Sakura. I'm going to have a shadow clone train with you. I'll be practicing on my own over there."
"Eh? Naruto, you're not going to train with me yourself?" Sakura felt a stab of disappointment. Was he just going to pawn her off on a copy of himself?
"Uh, I think one shadow clone is plenty. Don't underestimate my clones!" Naruto misunderstood her hesitation for doubt about the clone's capability.
"...Okay." Sakura opened her mouth, then closed it, finally nodding in reluctant acceptance. A thread of resentment wound through her thoughts. He's just brushing me off!
Unaware of her slightly pursed lips, Naruto quickly formed the hand seal. With a puff of smoke, a clone appeared beside him. The real Naruto then dove straight into the pounding waterfall to resume his solitary training.
The shadow clone led Sakura to a clear area nearby.
"Sakura, your chakra control is excellent, but your reserves are limited. So, in a fight, allocating chakra wisely and using it tactically is crucial. I'm still learning myself, but I've picked up a few things. We'll work on it through sparring," the clone explained.
"Fine! But Naruto, are you sure just a shadow clone is enough? Once I beat it, you'd better send the real you out!" Sakura declared, the lingering dissatisfaction clear in her voice.
Drawing a kunai, Sakura settled into a ready stance, her gaze steady on the figure before her. I'll show you. If I don't blow this clone away, you won't know how serious I am!
The Naruto clone stood calmly, drawing a kunai of its own. "Let's begin. You have the first move."
"Hmph!" His casual demeanor only stoked her irritation. With a soft snort, she shot forward, her movement swift and direct.
"Such a straightforward charge?" The clone's eyes narrowed slightly. It shook its head almost imperceptibly and raised its kunai to meet hers.
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring echoed as the two blades met, the force of the impact pushing them both back a step.
In that instant of separation, Sakura's hands blurred. Several shuriken flew from her grasp, arcing through the air to envelop Naruto.
The clone's arm became a blur, deflecting each spinning blade with precise flicks of its kunai. As its eyes refocused, it saw Sakura's form had already circled to its left flank.
Use projectiles to distract, then close in for a flanking strike? Much better than a head-on rush. But… "Not bad!" the clone called out with a slight smile. Yet, it made no move to evade.
Ch-ch-ch-thunk!
In the next moment, a volley of kunai and shuriken thudded into the clone's body.
With a soft poof, the struck figure transformed into a section of log, the weapons embedded in its surface. Naruto's voice then sounded from directly behind Sakura. "That's a classic textbook maneuver. Without any prior setup or feint, it's still pretty easy to see through."
The cool edge of a kunai rested lightly against the side of Sakura's neck. She froze, stunned. Then, an unexpected, determined smile touched her lips.
"Naruto, do you really look down on me that much?" As she spoke, her own form vanished with a poof, replaced by another log.
"Oh? A substitution jutsu. Nice!" The clone smiled, but its gaze immediately snapped upward and to the left. "Well hidden, Sakura!"
Its eyes locked onto Sakura, who was dropping from the air above, her attack already committed. The look of complete awareness on the clone's face filled her with a sense of helplessness. This is just a shadow clone… and it's reading me so easily. Not only did it dodge everything, it saw right through my plan. He really is a monster.
Chapter 32: A Suggestion
Being utterly outmatched by just Naruto's clone filled Sakura with a deep sense of powerlessness. That feeling quickly spiraled into panic. At the Academy, she'd been a top student, always at the head of the class, hadn't she? And she was a student of Konoha's elite Copy Ninja, Kakashi. Yet now, every shred of that pride was being dismantled.
She remembered clearly—Naruto had been the dead-last, the class clown. But in the short time they'd been a team, he seemed to reveal some new, shocking facet of himself almost daily. Just when she thought she was starting to understand him, he'd pull her deeper into a fog of confusion.
Naruto… I understand you less and less every day! Lost in her thoughts, she barely registered the kunai still hovering near her neck.
"Hey, are you spacing out? Do you just give up the moment you're caught in a real fight?" Naruto's voice was uncharacteristically stern. He withdrew the kunai and stepped back.
Sakura stomped her foot in frustration, looking down. "That's not it! It's just… who knew you'd be this strong!"
Seeing her dejected expression, Naruto realized what was happening. I've shaken her confidence. A pang of regret hit him. He should have found a different way to guide her. Perhaps… he could nudge her toward that other path a little sooner.
He stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, offering an encouraging grin. "Alright, Sakura, don't get discouraged. Let's break for lunch after this session. I have something I want to talk to you about then."
"Talk about what?" Sakura's head snapped up, her curiosity immediately piqued by his tone.
"I'll tell you later. It's almost noon anyway. Why don't you run through some basic kata on your own for now?" Naruto shook his head, smiling.
"Hmph! You and your secrets," Sakura grumbled, but the spark had returned to her eyes. "Fine!"
By midday, the sun was high. Naruto and Sakura sat in a small, quiet eatery.
"…" After listening to Naruto speak at length, Sakura fell into a long, thoughtful silence.
Naruto watched her patiently, a faint smile on his face. He had just finished laying out his suggestion—that she consider becoming a medical-nin. He'd listed her natural aptitudes: her exceptional chakra control, her sharp intellect, her calm demeanor under pressure, and her inherent kindness.
Finally, Sakura looked up, meeting his gaze. "A part of me hates how quickly you've left me behind… but I think you might be right. Focusing on medical ninjutsu now could be the best path for me."
"So, you agree?" Naruto was pleasantly surprised she had come around so quickly.
The truth was, while Sakura admired powerful shinobi, her gentle nature had never truly embraced the violence of combat. The bloody, brutal reality of the ninja world was something she struggled with. She was self-aware enough to know that pure combat wasn't her strongest suit—today's spar had proven that. Surviving in this dangerous world with her own unique strengths… becoming a medic made logical sense.
"Yeah, I agree," Sakura nodded firmly, then her expression turned hesitant. "But… Kakashi-sensei doesn't know medical ninjutsu. How do I even start? It seems complicated."
Naruto thought for a moment, then smiled. "Don't worry about that yet. The first step is the determination. You can start with the basics. Find some books on medical theory and anatomy. Once you've built a foundation, you can apply to join the Medical Corps for formal training later."
"Is that so…" Sakura studied his face for a moment, then nodded again, more decisively. "Alright then. I'll listen to you."
As she said it, she felt a flicker of internal surprise. Since when did I start following Naruto's lead so easily? But his suggestion… it just felt right.
That afternoon, Sakura went to the Konoha archives in search of introductory medical texts. Naruto returned to the thunderous solitude of the waterfall, continuing his own rigorous practice while carefully probing the unstable Sage energy intertwined with the Curse Mark's poison.
"Naruto-kun!"
The voice, soft yet carrying over the roar of the water, pulled him from his focus. He had just pulled his shirt back on, smoothing his wet hair, when he saw her.
"Hinata?" Naruto finished getting dressed and walked over, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"Naruto-kun…" Looking at his bright smile and his damp, spiky blond hair, Hinata felt her heartbeat quicken, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "The other day… I came looking for you in the afternoon, but you weren't here. I didn't see you in the village at all. Did you go on a mission, Naruto-kun?"